Caching in League City, TX & Our 3500TH Cache Find 4/18/2010

We set out this morning for a few caches in and around League City, TX not far from where we are staying. There really were only a couple of interesting or historic caches today. The nice thing about today was that we found our 3500th cache. Most of the NRV caches were in located in the woods, at stores, in light posts, or in parks. One of the better caches we did was right in League City at a small garden called Helen's Garden. This was a small very very beautiful garden right along the main highway which had lovely flowers in full bloom, a reflecting pool, a small waterfall, benches, a gazebo and a bust and plaque of the woman who the park is dedicated to and her husband. Helen was a lifelong resident of Leaugue City who raised her family there and lived there all her life. She was an avid gardener and loved flowers and was a charter member of the local garden club. This small garden is used for taking most of the wedding photos of people married in the city.

Another of the sites we visited was the 1898 Schoolhouse Museum and Barn Museum. West Bay Common School No. 13 was built in 1898 in Chambers County, Texas. This 18 by 30 foot structure, made of cypress wood, originally had a wood shingle roof. Half of this still remains under the present metal roof which was added after the 1915 hurricane. The first teacher was Arthur Carpenter who received $33. 35 a month in pay. Grades kindergarten through grade seven attended the schoolhouse until its closing in 1936. The building was sold and moved a short distance and made into a three room house. With the efforts of the League City Historical Society, this one room school was moved to League City in December of 1992, to the corner of Kansas and Second Street, the former site of the Little Green Schoolhouse. This little schoolhouse was formally dedicated as the West Bay Common School Children's Museum on October 21, 1993. The purpose of the museum is to preserve an early Texas school building, provide a 'Hands-on-History' experience for children of all ages, to house state and local acquisitions of school memorabilia and educational artifacts, to preserve a historical site of a former two-room schoolhouse, preserve the original structure used as the first town firestation and to preserve an early business in League City's past.
In the Barn Museum , visitors explore the life and times of this once early cattle ranching town through a fascinating display of antiques, artifacts, and hands-on experiences.
The Salmon Ice House, was added to the property in 1994. This structure was originally located one block west of on Second Street and also was moved for restoration and preservatin of one of League City's early businesses. This 1920's building served ice to all of League City, Kemah, Seabrook and Webster, Texas. Later, part of the building was made into Barber Shio[. " Ghost" like figures were added to electronically tell the story of League City's history. These figures were made from men born in League City and all but one is still alive today.

Next was a visit to the Butler Longhorn Museum and Heritage Park. The Butler Longhorn Museum and Heritage Park will highlight the Butler Longhorn cattle bloodline that originated in League City. The Museum will document the rich and diverse multicultural heritage of League City through the histories of the original ranching and farming families. This museum is a Texas Longhorn museum documenting the seven bloodlines of Longhorn with Art, History and Science exhibits. Purchased by the City of League City in 2002 with a $400,000 grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the former home of local banker Walter Hall has been transformed into a state of the art museum dedicated to telling the story of local resident Milby Butler and his role in saving Texas Longhorns from extinction. Think of Texas, and you think of Longhorns. From the western art of Charles M. Russell to the University of Texas mascot, the Longhorn is synonymous with Texas and its ranching history. Yet few Texans or visitors to this state realize that by the beginning of the 20th century, Longhorns were on the verge of extinction. In fact, by the mid-1920s, buffalo outnumbered Longhorns; an especially remarkable fact given that just 40 years earlier, the North American Longhorn population was estimated at 40,000 head. Today, the Longhorn is alive and well due to the efforts of six pioneer breeders and a few far-sighted federal employees who refused to allow these animals to become extinct. The Butler Longhorn Museum tells the story of this amazing comeback, and in doing so, tells a compelling chapter in the story of the American West. Funny part of this whole site is the Museum was supposed to open in 2009 but has not done so as yet. It is supposed to open on April 25th.

The last site we saw was St. Mary's Mission Church. "Beginning in the late 19th century, League City's Catholic residents gathered in homes for Mass and other services. As the population grew, so did the need for a church. J.C. League deeded land to the Diocese of Galveston, and parishioners of St. Mary Mission Church built a frame sanctuary that served them for many years after its dedication in December 1910. The Diocese appointed the Rev. Jerome A. Rapp (1881-1952), who conducted Mass for the Catholic residents before 1910, as the mission church's first pastor. He served both this church and other mainland missions. St. Mary Mission Church served as a social center of the community from early in its history. During the Great Depression, the church began the Mainland Catholic Picnic as a means of reducing debt. It quickly became a popular community-wide activity, lasting for many years. As the decades passed, the League City congregation continued to grow, especially as the nearby Johnson Space Center rapidly expanded during the latter twentieth century. The church moved into a new and larger building, dedicating it in 1966. Meanwhile, the old mission was used only occasionally for church functions, although several organizations, including the Knights of Columbus, often met there. In the late twentieth century, parishioners organized to relocate and restore the former mission church building. Today, the Gothic Revival structure is the only extant example of the original mainland missions." As you can see by the picture this was a gorgeous little country church.

After we were done we drove back to the coach and Mom went and had her haircut and did some shopping. I hung around and tried to remedy another problem we have with the coach. After she got back we had dinner and watched TV. Well until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick